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Last updated 9:44 AM on 13 August 2017

Library News

Every year, Marsden High School Library celebrates the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week with an Author Visit and a Book Review Competition. This year's Author Visit will be with award winning author, Steven Herrick! - Australia's favourite poet for young people.

Steven Herrick has published over 20 books with his work being studied in the HSC. His "Poetry, to the Rescue" performances for Year 7 students are outstanding. If you would like to know more about Steven Herrick and his work, please head to his website.

The aim of the CBCA is to engage the community with literature for young Australians as do we in your school library. The CBCA presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature and as a school we have been lucky enough to have purchased all of the nominated Books for older readers - and they are available to borrow. These books are the best new Australian Novels and Picture Books - and well worth the read! If you would like to know more about The CBCA or the CBCA Book Awards here is the link: CBCA

Writing Competition:

During this years Book Week, the library will be running a competition to celebrate two great authors and their outstanding books.

To get involved, you need to write a book review of 500 words or less on any book written by JK Rowling or Jane Austin.

JK Rowling:

By now, you would have heard that the Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling were first published 20 years ago!

In June 1997, Bloomsbury published Philosopher's Stone with an initial print run of 1,000 copies, 500 of which were distributed to libraries. Today, such copies are valued between $30,000 and $50,000. Five months later, the book won its first award, a Nestle Smarties Book Prize. In February, the novel won the British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year, and later, the Children's Book Award. In October 1998, Scholastic published Philosopher's Stone in the US under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The rest is history as they say.

Miss Jane Austin died 200 years ago in July 1817, at the age of 41! Her classic novel Pride and Prejudice, which is still a favourite book for many, was first published in 1813!

While other early nineteenth century authors have fallen into obscurity, Austen's works have remained in print, grew in popularity throughout the Victorian era and have been embraced by Hollywood in the twentieth century - elevating her to pop culture icon status with the new millennium.

To find out more about the Book Review Competition stop by the library and pick up an entry sheet. This competition will run until the end of Term 3!

There is a lovely quote in Emma (one of Austin's novels) when Miss Bates says, ‘It is such a happiness when good people get together – and they always do." Good people are in the library come along and see.